Property Help

Property Help

Finding good ‘property help' which is independent and accurate isn't always easy. Unfortunately much of the property industry isn't good at giving property help as few people give consistent advice. For example, one of the best services you can employ if you are buying a property is the help from a surveyor. Many estate agents don't recommend you have a survey done as they act for the seller, not you. Some have even recommended to get a builder instead and if it's a new build, many people will tell you, you don't need one at all! That's the wrong kind of property help to be getting when you are spending tens of thousands of your own money and borrowing hundreds of thousands of pounds from a lender!

Kate Faulkner MD of property help site Designs on Property has spent the last ten years helping consumers to get independent answers to their property questions and ensure they get the help they need. Here are Kate's top five tips to securing the best property help you can:-

Property Tips

Top Tip One - Are they independent?Check the source of the property help you are getting. If it's education on ‘how to invest in property' but it's coming from someone trying to sell property investments, then it's not the right place for independent advice!

Top Tip Two - Do they know enough to give property help?Much of our property help comes from relatives or friends - everyone appears to be a ‘property expert'! And if they have bought and sold, renovated or let lots of property and never had any problems, then they are either very lucky, or do know what they are talking about! It's vital though to speak to independent experts for real property help. Many friends and relatives have only ever bought or renovated one or two properties and sadly that's not enough to call themselves an expert!

Top Tip Three - Is the property help consistent?If more than three people that you trust and like (and they aren't from the same company!) are saying the same things and it makes common sense, then it probably is true. However if you are getting lots of conflicting property help and advice, then there is something wrong with the sources of the help you are getting - so seek someone who does not financially benefit from the help you need!

Top Tip Four - Do you need to pay for the property help?People or companies that offer property help for free when others charge must be making money from you (or others) in some way shape or form. So it might just be that you need to pay for proper property help to get the answers you need. For example, evicting a tenant is not straightforward, particularly if you haven't done it before. If you get it wrong, you could face lots of problems and may lose thousands of pounds, so paying a few hundred to get the right property help might be the best thing for you to do.

Top Tip Five - What assurances can the person/company give you for the property help? If someone helps you with your property project, what happens if it goes wrong and somehow the help wasn't what you expected or in your case wasn't correct? For example, if a tradesperson isn't a member of a property organisations (such as a builder being part of the Federation of Master Builders or an electrician being Part P registered) then if you have a dispute against them, you can't go to a third party to complain and the company or person may not be insured for any losses you occur!

So if you want to be sure the property help you receive is right for you, why not contact us at enquiries@designsonproperty.co.uk and if we can't help you, we will find the right people that can.

Get a helping hand with our newFirst Time Buyer Service for just £19.99!Property expert, Kate Faulkner, has joined forces with B&Q and other industry experts to offer a unique service, where you purchase a ‘property project pack’ that gives you:-